Spotting device for tenpins.



H. J. MARTIN. SPOTTING DEVICE PoR TENPINS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

l' y r INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH J. MARTIN, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPOTTING DEVICE FOR. TENPINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Application tiled November 10, 1910. Serial No. 591,661.

To alll whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, HUGH J. MARTIN, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have i11- vented certain new and useful Im irovements in Spotting Devices for Tenpins, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a spotting device for ten pins, particularly in bowling alleys, and the (primary object of the invention is to provi e means in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth for accurately positioning pins upon the end of an alley, whereby when one of the pins is properly struck all of the pins will be knocked down, thus preventing the skill of a bowler from -being interfered with by an improper setting of the pins.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spotting. device that can be easily and quickly operated, the device being concealed in such a'manner as not to interfere with bowling upon the alley, even when the device is inactive.

A still further object of the invention is to provide .a spotting device that is simple in construction, durable, easy to install, and eicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be presently described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to they drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts through theA several views, in which Figure 1 1s a longitudinal sectional view broken away of an alley showing the adaptation therewith of a spotting device in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of a spotting frame forming part .of the device, and Fig. 4 shows detail secbordering upon the lower end of these openings 1s out away,'as at 8, to accommodate metallic sockets 9, which as shown in Fig. 4 of .the drawings may be screwed into the openings 7 or secured to the under side of the alley by screw bolts 10.

11 denotes a spotting frame triangular in plan and having a plurality of vertical equally spaced pins 12 corresponding in number to the openings 7 of the alley 1. The spotting frame 11 is made -of strips or metal riveted or otherwise secured together and is located beneath the alley in the well 2 and is normally supported in proximity to the under side of the alley by a vertical post 13 detachably connected to the metallic strip 14 ofthe frame 11, as at 15. The post 13 has the lower end thereof seated in a socket 16 provided therefor in the bracket'17, the top of the bearing having a guide opening 18 for the post 13. The bearing 17 supports a rock shaft 19 and mounted upomsaid rock shaft is a segment gear 2O meshing with a rack `21, carried by the post 13. The segment gear 20 has a rearwardly extending tread or hand lever 22 protruding through a slot 23 provided therefor in the rear wall 24 of the alley 1.

Interposed between the corners of the frame 11 and the under side of the alley 1 are compression springs 25 adapted to normally retain the spotting frame in a lowered position.

The pins to be used in connection with the alley have the lower ends thereof provided v `that it is not necessary to use the device unless precision is desired in setting the bowling` or ten pins.

vThe device in its entirety can be made of strong and durable metal and easily installed by simply 'providing the well 2 at the lower v end of the bowling alley.

What I claim is .In a bowling alley. the combinati-on with a ten pin bed provided with a series of openings and a well located below said bed.

of a bearing bracket positioned in said well and provided at its top with a guide opening and at its bottom with a socket, a vertically movable post mounted in said socket and extending through said guide opening, a. vertically-movable spotting frame carried by the upper end of the post, pins carried by the frame and adapted to extend in said open- 5 ings when the frame is elevated, springs connected to Said bed and to the frame and normally maintaining the bed in a lowered position, said post provided With a rack, a shaft journaled in said bracket and provided 10 with a toothed segment engaging said rack for vertically moving the post When the shaft is rocked in one direction, and a lever connected to the shaft and projecting through and from the rear Wall of said Well.

In testimony whereof I alix my signa- 15 ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

HUGH J. MARTIN. W'itnesses:

MAX H. SRoLovITz, CHRISTINA T. Hoon. 

